The invention relates to a sealing device for temporarily sealing a hose to a drain. More particularly, the invention has application for sealing a hose from a waste disposal system of a recreational vehicle to an inlet receptacle of a waste receiving station.
One of the most appalling aspects involved with using a recreational vehicle (RV) is discharging waste from a holding tank of the vehicle into the waste reservoir of an RV sanitation station. Ordinarily, this is accomplished by manually attaching one end of a hose to a discharge outlet of the RV waste holding tank and manually attaching the opposing end of the hose to the inlet receptacle of the waste station or reservoir. Because inlet receptacles at different dump stations may vary in size, the RV operator often must additionally attach, to the outboard end of the hose, an adapter corresponding to the particular inlet receptacle size. Among the limitations of this system is that the method is labor intensive, messy and potentially unsanitary.
With the limitations of the prior art in mind, it is an object of this invention to provide a temporary sealing device which eliminates the need for numerous adapters for the various diameters of inlet receptacles.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a temporary sealing device which will readily secure the waste hose to the inlet receptacle and inhibit its withdrawal while waste is being discharged from the RV.
An additional object of this invention is to provide a temporary sealing device which will likewise inhibit the escape of odorous gas from the dump station between the inlet receptacle and the coupling itself during the discharging of waste.
It is further an object of this invention to provide a coupling which can be readily retrofitted into existing RV waste disposal systems.
In achieving the above objects, the temporary sealing device is provided having an inflatable cuff or bladder. In one embodiment, the outboard end of a discharge hose is attached to a coupling, while the outlet end of the coupling is provided with the bladder on its exterior surface. The outlet end of the coupling is then inserted into the inlet receptacle of the waste dump reservoir so that the bladder is situated within the interior of the inlet receptacle. A pump, provided on the coupling, supplies fluid for inflating the bladder. When inflated, the bladder circumferentially engages the interior of the inlet receptacle and thereby forms a seal between the inlet receptacle and the discharge end of the coupling. Waste may now be transferred from the holding tank of the RV through the hose to the waste dump reservoir.
After the waste has been transferred from the holding tank, the coupling is disengaged from the inlet receptacle by deflating the bladder. A pressure release valve allows the bladder to deflate under forces induced by its own resiliency. The coupling is then removed from the inlet receptacle and the hose and coupling are appropriately stored until their use is again required.
In a second embodiment, the inflatable bladder is provided on the inlet receptacle of the waste dump reservoir. The outlet end of the coupling is inserted into the inlet receptacle so that the bladder encircles therearound. A pump, provided at the dump station, supplies fluid to the bladder for inflation. When inflated, the bladder circumferentially engages the exterior of the coupling and thereby forms a temporary seal between the discharge end of the coupling and the inlet receptacle. Similar to the first embodiment, the coupling is disengaged from the bladder and the inlet receptacle by deflating the bladder through use of a pressure release valve.
The invention thus provides a temporary sealing device which reduces the manual labor involved with attaching the discharge hose, eliminates the need for adapters and prevents the discharge of waste onto the exterior of the waste receiving reservoir where it would be objectionable and present a sanitary hazard.
Additional benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates from the subsequent description of the preferred embodiments and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.